The LORD Visits Sinai

When the third day arrives, Sinai is covered in thunder, cloud, fire, smoke, and violent shaking, and the trumpet sound grows stronger. Moses brings the people to the foot of the mountain, and the LORD descends and calls him upward.

O¹⁶n the third day, when morning came, there was thunder and lightning. A thick cloud was upon the mountain, and a very loud blast of the ram’s horn went out, so that all the people in the camp trembled. ¹⁷Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. ¹⁸Mount Sinai was completely enveloped in smoke, because the LORD had descended on it in fire. And the smoke rose like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently. ¹⁹And as the sound of the ram’s horn grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him in the thunder. ²⁰The LORD descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the summit. So Moses went up,

The LORD sends Moses back down to warn the people and even the priests not to break through the boundary. Though Moses notes that the limits were already set, the warning is repeated, and he returns to speak to the people.

²¹and the LORD said to him, “Go down and warn the people not to break through to see the LORD, lest many of them perish. ²²Even the priests who approach the LORD must consecrate themselves, or the LORD will break out against them.” ²³But Moses said to the LORD, “The people cannot come up Mount Sinai, for You solemnly warned us, ‘Put a boundary around the mountain and set it apart as holy.’” ²⁴And the LORD replied, “Go down and bring Aaron with you. But the priests and the people must not break through to come up to the LORD, or He will break out against them.” ²⁵So Moses went down to the people and spoke to them.